There’s something about sprinkles that make sugar cookies even better. Do they add any flavor to them? Not really. Do you always want the extra sprinkles? The answer is always yes.

Sprinkle Sugar Cookies For All Occasions

This sprinkle sugar cookie recipe comes from my favorite cookbook of 2020, Sarah Kiefer’s 100 Cookies. There isn’t a cookie recipe in this book that has come out bad. I’ve made her ginger molasses cookies, snickerdoodles, and her brownie cookies. I’ve even done a fun riff of her Neapolitan cookies with them a seasonal twist turning them into peppermint cookies over the holidays. Her ideas are simple, but the pan banging method elevates them to the next level. If you’re in the market for a new cookbook or looking for a fun gift, this is definitely my recommendation.

Sugar Cookies With Pan Banging Technique

Okay, back to the cookies. The sprinkle sugar cookies recipe isn’t anything out of the ordinary. What makes it special is the pan banging technique. The pan banging technique comes once you hit the 8-minute mark in the oven. The cookies puff up right around then thanks to the addition of baking soda to the batter. Then, to get those nice chewy ridges, you have to gently lift the sheet pan down on the oven rack and give it a nice bang, hence the pan banging. The cookies will continue to puff up about 3 or 4 more times and you continue to bang it down every 2-3 minutes to keep getting those wavy ridges.

What I love about Sarah’s recipes for all of her pan banging cookies is the combination of textures. They are thin but somehow chewy at the same time. This sugar cookie recipe is also a great base recipe for other mix-ins. You could add in crushed Oreos, lemon zest, or just keep the sprinkles out for a nice sugar cookie. They also are great freezer cookies and will last about 3 months once fully baked.

Ingredients For Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

All-purpose flour
Baking soda
Salt
Cream of tartar
Unsalted butter
Granulated sugar
Egg
Vanilla extract
Non-pareil sprinkles

How To Make Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

Preheat: Preheat the oven and prepare a baking sheet with parchment. Set to the side.
Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Set to the side.
Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl with a mixer or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in sugar, making sure to scrape down the bowl. When the sugar and butter are combined, add in the eggs and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients making sure everything is fully combined. Add in the sprinkles and fully mix to make sure they are combined throughout the batter.
Form The Cookie Dough: Form the dough into small cookie dough balls and roll the dough in the remaining sugar. Place the cookie dough balls on the parchment to prepare to bake.
Bake: Bake 4-6 cookies on the baking sheet with parchment for about 7-8 minutes. This is where the first “bang” comes into place. Take the corner of the baking sheet and drop it on the oven rack so it makes a “bang.” The cookies will flatten and cause a ripple on the outside rim. Let the cookies continue to bake for about 2 minutes and repeat the banging process. Repeat this process 3-4 more times until the cookies are filled with ripples. Overall the cooking time will be about 14-16 minutes.
Cool: Let the cookies slightly cool on the pan for about a minute and move them to a cooling rack to continue to let the cookies cool.

FAQs

Should I add sugar to the cookies before or after baking?

Add the sugar to the cookies before the baking process. When the dough is rolled out, roll the dough into the remaining sugar to fully cover it. The sugar will stick to the dough and spread out evenly during the baking process.

Will my sprinkles bleed into the dough?

Some sprinkles bleed into the dough causing the dough to turn all sorts of colors. Some nonpareil sprinkles will bleed into your dough, but make sure to slowly mix the dough to cause the over-bleeding of colors.

Can you freeze the sprinkle sugar cookies?

Yes! These cookies are great in the freezer. Simply store them in an airtight container and place in the freezer. The cookies will be good for 2-3 months. The dough can also be frozen before baking. Simply skip the sugar rolling step and freeze the balls in an airtight container. When ready to bake, take the cookie dough out of the oven, roll in sugar, and bake the cookies according to the recipe.

Check out the recipe below!

Sprinkle Sugar Cookies

Recipe by Margo Gothelf Course: Dessert, CookiesCuisine: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

This recipe creates a sugar cookie that is both chewy and crunchy.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons non-pareil sprinkles

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl combined the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix to combine and set aside.
In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in 1 and 1/2 cups of the sugar and beat until pale in color, about 3 minutes. Scape down the sides of the bowl making sure everything is fully combined. Add the egg and vanilla at low speed and mix until fully combined. Scape down the sides of the bowl again.
Add in the flour mixture with the mixture on low speed. If using a stand mixture make sure the mixer is on low so the flour doesn’t go everywhere. Mix until everything is combined, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the sprinkles and fully mix to combine.
Form the dough balls. Using a cookie dough scoop to form heaping tablespoons. Roll the balls in the remaining sugar.
Place the cookies on the prepared sheet pan, about 4-6 at a time, depending on how big they are. Bake the cookies for about 7-8 minutes before the first “bang.” The cookie dough balls should spread out, but be puffy in the middle. When the cookies look ready, lift one side of the pan up about 4 inches and gently drop it back down. The cookies should flatten out, especially the puffy part in the middle. Repeat the process about 2 minutes later. The cookies should look the same, just with more ripples. Repeat this process 3-4 more times. When done, the cookies should look a little gooey in the middle and have lots of rippled edges. The cookies should take about 14-16 minutes to cook in total.
Move the cookies to a rack and let them cool completely. Repeat steps with additional cookie dough balls When they are done, move them to an airtight container. The cookies will last 3-5 days. These cookies can also be frozen and last up to three month in the freezer.

Notes

Any sprinkles will work for these cookies but non-pareil won’t bleed color in the dough.
Sarah’s recipe calls to make the cookies in 3 oz balls. So if you want giant cookies, go for it. I opted for smaller cookies, using less dough per cookie.

Did you make this recipe?! Let me know and share it on Instagram. Tag @crispcrumble and use the hashtag #crispandcrumble.